James Stoat-Ermine
James Stoat-Ermine is a Paladin in the service of the Scarlet Onslaught who specializes in brutal heavy combat and shouting a lot. Appearance Below average height for a human, James has a powerful, compact and muscular build that makes him seem bigger then he actually is. His face is harsh and angular, with a thick black beard covering his craggy features. He has small brown eyes that are largely hidden under his bushy black brows, and fair skin. He carries himself as tall and straight as he can, giving off an air of determination. His most distinctive feature, however, is his voice. James is rather loud, seemingly unable to carry on in anything short of a dull roar; even the most casual of conversations seem to result in excited shouting on his part. However, this voice is an asset; on the battlefield, he can be loudly and easily heard, allowing him to marshal and command his troops. As a member of the Onslaught, James wears a suit of intimidating red and black amour, overlaid with the Onslaught's distinctive tabard. On his right hand, he wears an elaborate signet ring. Personality James is a very loud man. He can usually be found at the lead of his troops, shouting orders, urging them into battle. It is rare that he will actually be quiet; he seems to be unable to go for a long period without saying something. It is only when at prayers or meditation that he is actually quiet; otherwise he is unrepentantly loud. His loud voice and tendency not to shut up does have its uses; he is an excellent motivator in the field, inspiring and driving on his forces in the face of whatever opposition they may face. He is devoted to the Scarlet Crusade and its beliefs; he holds humans above all else, and feels that the undead, free-willed or Scourge, are an abomination that must bee completely exterminated. He is aware that there is every chance that his brother Jeffery, while killed during the fall of Lordaeron, may still exist as some form of Undead; however, he knows that his brother deserves to be treated the same as any other and be purged without pity or remorse. Never, ever call him "Jamie". He hates that. History Born into a noble Lordaeron family, James was the youngest of three sons; following their father's death during the second war, his oldest brother, Jeffery inherited the family's estate. While Jeffery was content to spend his days riding around on his horse, terrorizing the peasantry and generally being obnoxious, James focused on mote martial pursuits; knowing full well that there was little chance of his inheriting the estate from his brother, he instead joined the Lordaeron army. This move wound up saving his life; his family's estate was over-run by the Scourge early in the war, his brother amongst the casualties. James, however, was able to join up with the surviving Lordaeron forces who had fallen back to Tyr's Hand. As events unfolded, he chose to stand with them as a part of the growing Scarlet Crusade. As the years passed, he repeatedly demonstrated a degree of commitment and loyalty to the Crusade, as well as to the Light. James was inducted into the ranks of the Crusade's Paladins, a rare honor. He vowed to use his newfound position to aid the Crusade in any way he could. He also vowed to reclaim his family's lands, not for his own benefit, but rather so the Crusade could claim them for use against the Scourge. However, these plans came to nothing; the Scourges' forces proved to be too strong, keeping the Crusade largely pinned down to their few enclaves; however, those enclaves were also safe from the Scourge. Or so it seemed. The Scarlet Enclave of Havenshire came under attack by an army of Death Knights, swarming forth from a massive necropolis that had taken position over their lands. It quickly became obvious that stopping the Scourge forces would be impossible; all efforts at repulsing the attackers resulted merely in adding more undead minions to their forces. All was not lost, however. General Abbendis had formed a core of "pure" members of the Crusade that she would personally save from the forthcoming slaughter. James Stoat-Ermine was one of them. Leaving his comrades behind, he willingly followed her to Northrend. James became a part of the new Scarlet Onslaught, under the leadership of the beloved dead Admiral Baeren Westwind. As a part of the Onslaught, he serves alongside the members of Westwind's "new vision", such as Shadow Priests and even Warlocks. While a part of him knows that such are counter to the Crusade's beliefs, he also knows that Westwind's vision is one granted by the Light; as such, he willingly accepts them. category:Characters category:Scarlet Crusade category:Human category:Paladin category:Articles by Darthfish